Chapter 205   A Vicious Woman

Everyone present had thought that Third Young Lady was so kind that she had already known to feed her younger sister medicine at such a young age. Only Mother Han saw that Ning Qingshan had slipped some drug into Ning Xueyan’s medicine bowl. But all the medicine in the bowl had gone, so she had no evidence. Besides, nobody would believe that a child of six years old had done something so vicious.

Moreover, after being found out by Mother Han on spot, Ning Qingshan had not been in a panic, but handled this matter perfectly.

When Madam Ming and Mother Han walked into the room, they found Ning Qingshan still looking naive. She repeated that she had spilled the medicine soup onto her clothes by accident when she tried to feed her younger sister. Looking at her wet clothes, naive face and guilty expression, Mother Han could not help feeling chilly.

No matter how cunning, slippery, or even vicious a person was, at least, he or she should be naive at this age.

But Ning Qingshan seemed to be born to act. Mother Han had been so scared at that point, and she had not said anything to anyone else.

After that, the more she thought about it, the more she felt worried, so she told Madam Ming this. Fortunately, Madam Ming had been trusted Mother Han, so she believed what she said. From then on, Madam Ming had not treated Ning Qingshan as well as before.

“But what happened before Third Young Lady moving out?” Lanning could not help asking. Without evidence, Madam Ming would not have driven Ning Qingshan out from Bright Frost Garden only because of what Mother Han said.

Ning Xueyan looked at Mother Han thoughtfully. Mother Han looked serious, and Ning Xueyan knew that something big must have happened before Ning Qingshan had left Bright Frost Garden.

“A few days after that accident, Third Young Lady went to Madam Dowager to offer her greetings. Madam Dowager found that she was in black and blue, so she asked her who had beaten her. Ning Qingshan didn’t say anything, but kept on crying. Later, Madam Dowager came here with her attendants to investigate this matter. Then she said for no reason that it was Madam Ming who had beaten Ning Qingshan. She also said that Madam Ming acted one way to people’s face and another behind people’s back, and she had even ill-treated a little girl of six like this!”

Mother Han was angry when she spoke. “Madam Ming was a stubborn person and she had always been at odds with Madam Dowager. Therefore, hearing what Madam Dowager said, she didn’t explain and went back to her room. Madam Dowager told everyone that Madam Ming ill-treated Third Young Lady and took Third Young Lady to Foggy Courtyard. Since then, people of the manor looked down upon Bright Frost Garden even more.”

Mother Han could not hold back her anger whenever she talked about this. Madam Ming had done nothing wrong and she had treated Ning Qingshan so well, but everybody had thought that she was a vicious woman! Although Ning Qingshan had not said that it was Madam Ming who had beaten her, from her almost trembling expression, everyone could tell that she was accusing Madam Ming. Who would think that such a child had been acting in front of them?

Ning Xueyan sneered. It seemed Ning Qingshan was really difficult to deal with.

She had framed Madam Ming when she was only six years old! No wonder that she had never been sincere when she came to Bright Frost Garden to greet Madam Ming every year before. Madam Ming had not been warm to her.

“Miss, you must be cautious and watch out for Third Young Lady. There is something I don’t know about Third Young Lady. I only know that after moving into Foggy Courtyard, she endeared herself to both Madam Dowager and marquis. It’s said she also got on well with First Madam!”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be careful!” Ning Xueyan nodded slightly. “Putting drug into my medicine bowl?” Thinking about this, she suddenly frowned and her face was filled with coldness.

“Mother Han, when did Mammy Luo begin to serve Third Sister?”

Mammy Luo was Ning Qingshan’s most faithful servant, and she was very smart and flexible. No matter how capable Ning Qingshan was, she had been a child of six. Besides, people of Bright Frost Garden seldom went out. Where had she gotten the drug? Since she had just come to the Lord Protector’s Manor, how could she get the drug?

Since she had been able to get it, she must be able to get more toxic drugs.

Moreover, as a little child, nobody would have noticed what she was doing.

“Mammy Luo came to our manor with Third Young Lady. It’s said she was Third Young Lady’s wet nurse. I don’t know if it’s true. But I know that Xia’er was allocated to Third Young Lady after she had come to our manor.”

“Was Mammy Luo close with First Madam? Did she often visit First Madam?” Ning Xueyan asked, playing with a hair pin on the dresser. On the smooth side of the hair pin, she saw a cold and ruthless look in her own eyes.

If that was true, Ning Qingshan was really her sworn enemy!

“In those days, most servants of Bright Frost Garden seldom went out the manor. Only I needed to go out to do something for Madam Ming, buy medicinal materials or buy some fresh vegetables for you. Since you were very young and growing, it was necessary to have some meat.” Mother Han felt sad at the thought of the past. She wiped tears off her cheek with her hand. It was unbelievable that a noble Young Lady had led such a miserable life in her childhood. Nobody had ever thought that the powerful and wealthy Lord Protector’s Manor had been so mean to Madam Ming and Fifth Young Lady like this.

“I saw Mammy Luo chatting and laughing with several older female servants from First Madam’s courtyard a few times. By then, Third Young Lady was still at Bright Frost Garden. I thought that they had just come, so it was normal that they wanted to get close to First Madam. I didn’t take it seriously. But after that accident, I was sure that First Madam must have been involved in it.”

Ning Zu’an was really a scum! His wife and daughter could not even get enough food and clothes at Bright Frost Garden, and they had to be self-sufficient, but he had turned a blind eye to this. How could a man be cold-blooded like this? Ning Xueyan remembered that most of Madam Ming’s jewelry had gone. They must have been sold by Madam Ming to exchange money. Mother Han had told her that all those jewelry were valuable, but they still could not support themselves. It must have something to do with Madam Ling.

Madam Ling had taken Madam Ming’s dowry, her jewelry and even her life! Ning Xueyan had made up her mind to take all these back one by one.

“Mammy, do you believe that Ning Qingshan could get the drug by her own?” Ning Xueyan trusted Mother Han, so she would like to put it straightforward. She needed to know more details.

“Mi-Miss, you mean Third Young Lady got the drug from First Madam?” Mother Han stammered. She immediately saw what Ning Xueyan meant.

“Let’s talk about it in more depth. Since she could get the toxic drug and slipped it into my medicine soup, is that mean that she also put vicious drug in my mother’s medicine? Before Qingrui came to Bright Frost Garden, my mother had already been poisoned! It’s said she had been poisoned for a long time, but nobody could tell since when she had taken the poisoned medicine for the first time.”

Ning Xueyan sneered inwardly. Now she was certain that it must be Ning Qingshan, who had put the toxic drug into her mother’s medicine, because only Ning Qingshan had the opportunity to do this. She was able to get close to Madam Ming, and Madam Ming was an unguarded person. Moreover, if Ning Qingshan was not useful to Madam Ling, Madam Ling would not have been so generous to let her move to Foggy Courtyard.

The situation was the same now. Mammy Luo must have some inner trading with Mother Chen and other attendants of Madam Ling for a long time. That was why Madam Ling and Ning Qingshan had felt assured to have them convey their message. They did not need to worry that they would screw things up by misunderstanding each other.

“Miss, you mean Third Young Lady poisoned Madam Ming? This is... not likely!” Mother Han said in a trembling voice, her face ashen. For her, it was already very terrifying that Ning Qingshan had put some vicious herbs with cool attributes into Ning Xueyan’s medicine to prevent her from recovery. If she had also poisoned Madam Ming on purpose, Mother Han could not even find a word to describe her evil.

“Yes. I’m sure that Ning Qingshan had put some toxic medicine in my mother’s medicine!” Ning Xueyan sneered. Time, place, and character matched. Plus the current situation, she could tell that Madam Ling and Ning Qingshan had colluded for a long time. Otherwise, how could an adopted daughter been treated like a principal wife’s daughter?

Madam Ling did not seem to be a generous person!

Now it sounded reasonable that Ning Qingshan and Madam Ling had been trade in secret.

How vicious women of the Lord Protector’s Manor were! No wonder that Madam Ming, Ning Xueyan and Ning Ziying had died one after another. It was impossible for a normal person to survive in a poisonous snake pit!

“Lanning, go to Fourth Young Lady and tell her that I want to borrow an embroidered sample from her,” Ning Xueyan said coldly after having made her decision.

No matter what Ning Qingshan did, she had a specific purpose, so it was impossible to be just a coincidence that she and Ning Lingyun were so close. Since Ning Xueyan had exposed Ning Lingyun’s plot to get Princely Heir of Commandery Prince Li engaged to her, Ning Lingyun had been afraid of her every time she saw her. But this time, in addition to fear, Ning Xueyan also saw a trace of hesitation in Ning Lingyun’s eyes. It seemed she wanted but dared not to look at her.

Although Ning Lingyun did not say much, she had been peeping at Ning Xueyan all the time and at Ning Qingshan sometimes, as if there was something she could not decide.

“Obviously, Ning Qingshan is playing trick again. And this time, she is planning to take use of Ning Lingyun to deal with me!” Ning Xueyan thought. But it seemed that Ning Lingyun had not decided yet. Ning Qingshan was very vicious and she was good at manipulating others behind the scenes.

“Got it. I’m going to Fourth Young Lady right now.” Lanning nodded. Now she had fully understood Ning Xueyan’s plan.

Borrowing the embroidered sample was just an excuse. Ning Xueyan knew that Ning Lingyun would inquiry Lanning for information when she saw her, so she arranged for Lanning to visit Ning Lingyun on purpose. Although Bright Frost Garden was not that strictly guarded, it was not easy for anyone apart from Ning Xueyan to arrange for a servant to work here. Therefore, it was inconvenient for Ning Lingyun to seek information about Ning Xueyan. Since they wanted to know more information about her, Ning Xueyan would like to give them such opportunities to ask.

As for some things, it was better to let it happen than to stop it. At least, she could monitor every move of those people!

Fortunately, she could make preparation to fight back at the same time.

After freshening herself up, Ning Xueyan walked toward Lucky Garden with Lanning and Xinmei. It was still early, so she did not encounter anyone else. She chatted with Madam Dowager for a while, and then Madam Dowager asked her to go back, saying that Ning Xueyan should rest more. Madam Dowager also said that Ning Xueyan did not have to visit her everyday. After all, the most important thing for her currently was to get well as soon as possible.

Ning Xueyan knew that Madam Dowager would not really care about her health. After Ning Xueyan falling into sickness, Madam Dowager had to check the account books in person. Madam Dowager wanted to take the power, but she did not want to work. Although it was Ning Xueyan who had been managing the financial matters, she had asked Madam Dowager to make the final decision for everything, and Madam Dowager had enjoyed it very much. Now Madam Dowager had to work again and she felt tired of this, so of course she hoped that Ning Xueyan would recover soon and manage the accounts for her.

Of course, Ning Xueyan hoped herself to recover as soon as possible as well.

As soon as she sat down after returning to Bright Frost Garden, a maid reported, “Miss, Concubine Ma is coming. She is outside to seek an audience with you.”

“Concubine Ma?”

Ning Xueyan was a little surprised. She did not think that Concubine Ma had anything to do with her after that accident.